Mr. Hitter, Interactive baseball batting/hitting training device

ABSTRACT

This invention is a device to improve the hand eye coordination of baseball and softball hitters. It is used to allow the hitter to practice their swinging techniques and develop good swing mechanics in a short period of time by providing multiple repetitious looks at the ball. The device consists of a short wooden bat with a predetermined length of rope attaching the bat to the ball. The coach uses the bat to swing the ball into the hitting zone in front of the hitter every few seconds allowing multiple swings at the ball in a repetitive manner. When hit the ball only travels a few feet for easy retrieval by the coach allowing for maximum hitting attempts in a short period of time.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

There are no previous applications to reference in this presentapplication.

STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSOREDRESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING,” A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAMLISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON A COMPUTER DISK

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART

This invention relates to an interactive device to improve the hand eyecoordination of baseball/softball hitters thereby leading to increasedability to actually “see the ball” and hit the ball more often at eachbatting attempt. This invention allows multiple “looks at the ball” in ashort period of time and subsequent improved ability to swing the batand actually hit the ball.

Hitting a baseball/softball requires precise timing while executing apowerful swing. To improve their swing, hitters must practice theirswing mechanics repeatedly. Of course players can practice swingmechanics by actually playing the game, nevertheless, other practicingtechniques are necessary because of the very nature of the game. In agame the pitcher tries to throw the ball into the strike zone in anunpredictable manner to prevent the batter from hitting the thrown ball.Each thrown pitch can require the batter to employ a slightly differentswing and does not reinforce needed swing mechanics. A batter usually is“at bat” only three or four times in a game and there is no time forrepetitious practicing that is absolutely necessary to optimize andenhance swing mechanics while actually “seeing” the ball. Further, theprocess of playing ball requires a large area and is time consumingwhich by its very nature limits the amount of “at bats” in a game.

Many methods and devices have been created over the years to supportpracticing a baseball swing in an efficient and expeditious manner. Aplayer can practice their swing in a batter's cage swinging at nearlyidentical pitches from an automatic pitching machine or by hitting aball from a tee. Both these techniques can enhance the hand-eyecoordination of the hitter, but does little to teach the batter to “see”and “hit” a ball that comes into their field of vision from a differentangle or arc each and every time. Also, hitting an actual ball each timerequires a large space and necessitates that the balls be gathered atthe end of a certain number of hits to assure a supply of balls beingavailable for continued hitting practice.

Adjustable posts or tees for mounting balls at various heights andpositions all have limitations and/or shortcomings in that they arecumbersome and very difficult to adjust and use, have limitedball-strike positions and require an overly enlarged home plate forproper tee alignment, operation and use, are not designed to teachproper swing attitudes and ball contact strokes for hitting balls tovarious parts of the playing area, and do not allow balls over thecorners of the plate.

A continuing need exists for a new and improved batting practicetraining device that teaches a person how to actually “see” and “hit”the ball. Once the batter can hit the ball consistently then placementof the ball that is hit in a particular area of the playing field ismuch easier.

The following references provide supplemental and background informationfor this invention.

1. “Combination Batting Practice Tee and Pitching Target” U.S. Pat. No.5,320,343.

2. “Swing Practice Apparatus” U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,943

3. “Device For Batting and Striking Practice” U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,424

4. “Bat Master” U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,790

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the invention, Mr. Hitter, a batting/hitting trainingdevice is presented that reduces problems associated with otherapparatus for hitter swing improvement. Mr. Hitter has virtuallyunlimited ball-strike positions because the ball never arrives in thehitting zone at the same location, angle or arc which is designed toallow the hitter to “see” and “hit” more often thereby exponentiallyincreasing their on-base percentage. A hitter must first see the ball,then hit the ball and get on-base to score a run. Mr. Hitter allows thehitter to substantially improve their hand-eye coordination by multiplelooks at the ball and attempts to hit the ball in a very short period oftime. These multiple attempts to hit the ball teaches the hitter theirparticular swing mechanics and gives them the repetitive looks at theball necessary to become a high percentage hitter. Mr Hitter allowshundred of repetitions for many players in any one time period.

In the original embodiment Mr. Hitter comprises 10½ inch short woodenbat, a nine (9) foot length of ¼ inch rope, and a baseball. A ¼ inchhole is drilled lengthwise through the bat from the large end toapproximately 80% of the length of the bat. Another hole is drilled fromoutside the wooden bat to intersect the longitudinal hole drilled fromthe end of the bat. The ¼ inch rope is threaded through the hole at theend of bat to emerge at the opening of the latitudinal hole in the bat,where a knot is tied in the rope to hold it in the bat. A ¼ inch hole isdrilled totally through the baseball. The other end of the rope isthreaded through the baseball and a knot is tied on the end preventingthe rope from slipping out. The length of the wooden bat, length of therope and the method of attachment of the rope to the ball may bedifferent in other embodiment's of the device. Such embodiment's areincorporated herein by reference as though set forth in full in thisapplication.

Use of the Mr. Hitter training device requires two persons, ahitter/player and a device operator. The hitter with a bat is positionedapproximately ten (10) from the operator. The operator swings the devicebat over his/her head to swing the baseball in a circular arc to aposition directly in front of the hitter. The operator can swing theball faster or slower, higher or lower, and closer or further from thehitter. Each swing is a pitch which the hitter can swing at or ignore.The device can deliver hundreds of pitch's in an hours practice time andgives the hitter hundreds of “looks” at a different pitch each time.

The arc and angle of each pitch is never duplicated in subsequentpitches. This allows the hitter to be able to “see” and “hit” the ballby virtue of the literally hundreds of “looks” at the ball in a practicesession. This repetitive procedure gives the hitter many more chances tohit the ball in a practice session than would ever be possible with anyapparatus in existence. Repetitive looks at the ball creates betterswing mechanics that result in more hits which equals a better on basepercentage and more runs scored. The object of any baseball/softballgame is to score more runs than the opponent.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a depiction of the typical bat used in the training device inthe original embodiment with typical specifications of the bat. (1 a)pictures the typical radius on the bat. In other embodiments the bat andit's specifications may be by other different and varied methods anddifferent specifications.

FIG. 2 is a depiction of both the bat and baseball used in the trainingdevice with holes drilled in each item per the specifications. (2 a)pictures the typical baseball as set out in the specifications. (2 b) isa depiction of the typical wooden bat. (2 c) is a depiction of thetypical hole drilled through the baseball. (2 d) is a depiction of the ¼inch hole drilled lengthwise through the wooden bat from the large endto approximately 80% of the length of the bat. (2 e) is a depiction ofthe hole drilled from outside of the wooden bat that intersects thelongitudinal hole drilled from the end of the bat.

FIG. 3 is a depiction of the entire training device in the originalembodiment, consisting of the bat, the rope attaching the bat and balltogether, and the baseball. (3 a) is a depiction of the knot tied in theend of the rope or other fastening mechanism to prevent the rope fromslipping out of the ball. (3 b) is a depiction of the (9) foot length of¼ inch rope. (3 c) is a depiction of the knot tied in the end of therope or other fastening mechanism to prevent the rope from slipping outof the bat.

The drawings are an integral part of the system in this invention and bythis reference are incorporated herein as though set forth in full.

1. The system in this invention provide a wooden bat with a hole thereindrilled or manufactured into the bat covering approximately 80% of thelongitudinal length of the bat ending at a latitudinal hole drilled intothe bat to intersect the longitudinal hole for insertion of theattachment rope, a ¼ inch rope nine (9) feet in length for attachment ofball to the bat, a baseball with ¼ inch hole drilled therein forinsertion of the attachment rope with the attachment rope knotted ateach end, at both the bat and baseball. Any embodiments arising out ofthe claims set out in this application are by reference made a part ofthis invention. The system in this invention embodies a wooden bat or abat constructed of metal, plastic or any other material. The system inthis invention further embodies a wooden, metal, or plastic bat of anylength using any system of rope of any length or size attached to anytype ball for the training of hitting or swing mechanics. The system inthis invention further embodies any type of baseball, softball, or ballconstructed of any material that is attached to any type batting devicein any manner for the training of hitting or swing mechanics. The systemin this invention further embodies the rope being attached to the ballof any type, by any method of a metal or plastic grommet inserted intothe ball for attachment of the rope in any manner. The system in thisinvention further embodies any size and length of rope being used theconnect the bat to the ball for use as a device for training of hittingand swing mechanics. The system in this invention further embodies anysize and length of bat constructed of any material attached to a ball byany method for use as a device for training of hitting and swingmechanics. The system in this invention further embodies any method ofattaching a ball to a bat for use as a device for training of hittingand swing mechanics.